STARKVILLE,
Miss. - Saturday night, under the lights of Davis Wade Stadium, head coach Dan
Mullen will lead his Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-0, 2-0 SEC) against the
visiting Tennessee Volunteers (3-2, 0-2 SEC) in what could be the defining
moment for the Bulldogs' 2012 season.

Kickoff
for the Southeastern Conference matchup is set for 8 p.m. CT, with a national
television broadcast on ESPN 2. Fans not able to catch the action on television
can listen to Jim Ellis, Matt Wyatt and John Correro call the game on the
Mississippi State Radio Network and via Sirius Radio (Channel 128) and XM Radio
(Channel 197).

Saturday
will feature a battle between a lockdown defense and a high-powered offense,
both gaining national attention this season. MSU will trot out their stout
defense, led by a shutdown secondary, with the test of shutting down the
Volunteers' explosive receivers.

For the
Bulldogs, All-American Johnthan Banks and Darius Slay ("Precinct 913") will
captain the Bulldogs' defense Saturday night. The two have combined for seven
interceptions, blazing the trail for the MSU defense that is tied fourth
nationally with 15 forced turnovers and ranks second nationally with a +11
turnover margin. As well as being dominant in the turnover game, the Bulldogs
have done the same in their passing defense, allowing an average of less than
200 yards-per-game and ranking 12th nationally in pass efficiency defense,
which will be tested against Tennessee's passing attack.

Senior
quarterback Tyler Bray, along with junior receivers Justin Hunter and Cordell
Patterson, will hope ride the success of their passing attack this weekend
against the Bulldogs' secondary. Bray, whose 316.4 passing yards per game
average ranks second in the SEC, will lean on his duo of Hunter and Patterson
(combined six receiving touchdowns) to outwork the Mississippi State secondary
and find the end zone multiple times Saturday.

2008 in
Knoxville, Tenn., was the scene of the last meeting between the Bulldogs and
the Volunteers. On that October day, the Volunteers ran the table against the
Maroon and White with a 34-3. The Bulldogs did hold Tennessee to a slim 6-3
halftime lead, but the Volunteers came out firing in the second half to blow
the game open. Four unanswered touchdowns, highlighted by two interception
returns for scores in the fourth, separated the Volunteers and the Bulldogs for
good.

After
Saturday's SEC battle, MSU will remain home for their homecoming matchup
against Middle Tennessee State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and broadcast is
set for either ESPN 2, ESPNU or Fox Sports Net, with the Mississippi State
Radio Network also covering.

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Whether you are watching the game from Davis Wade Stadium, The Junction or
your living room, Bulldog fans are encouraged to stay plugged in to the game
and the football program via a plethora of social media options.